KUALA LUMPUR – A Malaysia Airlines flight en route to Kuala Lumpur from Melbourne was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Alice Springs after experiencing engine problems.
Flight MH128 departed the Australian city at approximately 11.20pm yesterday, heading directly to Kuala Lumpur. However, the Airbus A330-323 was redirected to Alice Springs Airport early due to a “technical issue”, according to a statement from Malaysia Airlines.
“Malaysia Airlines confirms that flight MH128 on 19 August 2024, from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur, diverted to Alice Springs Airport (ASP) due to a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely at 4.35am local time,” the airline said in a statement, as quoted by SBS.
“The airline is actively working to rebook passengers on new flights, while also arranging accommodation and reimbursements for meal expenses where applicable.”
A passenger on board, who preferred to remain anonymous, described the experience to SBS News, saying that everything initially seemed normal, though the sound from the right side of the aircraft “seemed odd”.
“We felt a slight vibration, which many of us assumed was just turbulence,” the passenger said. “But then, the right-side engine became noticeably quieter.”
The passenger further reported that the captain informed them that the engine had stalled, requiring the plane to circle for two hours to burn off fuel before safely landing at 4.35am today.
Emergency services, including a fire engine, were on standby as the aircraft landed without incident. Passengers remained on the plane until around 6.15am.
Both Malaysia Airlines and the Airport Development Group, which operates Alice Springs Airport, confirmed the plane’s diversion but did not elaborate on the specifics of the engine issues.
While Malaysia Airlines referred to the situation as a “technical issue”, the Airport Development Group indicated that the landing was due to “engine issues”.
A spokesperson for Malaysia Airlines disputed the term “emergency landing”, emphasising that the aircraft landed safely and all passengers were disembarked in accordance with standard domestic protocols.
Rob Porter, the executive general manager of the Airport Development Group, said that most passengers were rebooked on domestic flights departing today, with a smaller number accommodated overnight in Alice Springs before flying out the following day.
Passengers were informed that their checked baggage would not be immediately accessible due to the airport’s limited handling facilities for wide-body aircraft.
Malaysia Airlines issued an apology for the inconvenience and assured passengers that it was working with airport handlers to resolve the issue and expedite the baggage retrieval process. – August 20, 2024